Children and Families Bill

Debate between Geraint Davies and Edward Timpson

Monday 25th February 2013 Commons Chamber

[Geraint Davies (Swansea West) (Lab/Co-op)]

rose—

[Mr Timpson]

I am conscious of the time and I still have a lot of material to get through, so I will take just one more intervention.

[Mrs Moon]

As a former child and family social worker, I value what the Minister is saying about the importance of retaining separated family members in the child’s life. Does he acknowledge, however, that part of the problem we will face in retaining the involvement of separated parents in families is the implications of the bedroom tax? A separated parent might be financially penalised for keeping bedrooms so that their children can visit them during holidays and on weekends. Is that not counter-intuitive to what the Minister is trying to achieve?

[Geraint Davies]

That is what I was going to say!

[Mr Timpson]

I will try to kill two birds with one stone, in that case. That is not a matter for this Bill and I am sorry that the hon. Lady did not take the opportunity to raise any of the substantial issues that are in the Bill. As she has raised the under-occupancy rules, she must remember that it was her party that brought them in for the private sector. It is therefore an extension of something that was brought in by the previous Government.

The Bill makes it absolutely clear that both parents should be involved with their children after separation, unless there is a genuine welfare reason why that is not appropriate. This is about the needs of the child, not parents’ rights.